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On social media very recently, I saw a brief comment pass by related to how warmups helped with mental centering.** That thought resonated with me strongly, and I think is one for every good horn player to consider.
What is “mental centering”?
It is a term that will mean different things to different people, and even to me it means something different in different situations. Certainly, the term is used in yoga and martial arts, where in the latter especially it would help you remain focused in stressful situations. For others, it relates also to mental wellness, being at your center, feeling less anxious generally.
But for sure an element of the French horn the warmup is that the process helps you get in your “zone” mentally, to be ready to perform on multiple levels (physical/mental). Or it could be!
When do you warm up?
For me, I have long preferred to warmup at the hall or someplace very close at hand, right before the performance or rehearsal. My feeling was it set up my chops better, but also, I can see how the process of warming up brings you mentally into “performance mode.” Ideally, I would time it to be fully warmed up about 5 minutes before the performing session.
Other players, fine players, have a very different tactic, where they warm up in the morning and then they are essentially warmed up for the rest of the day! This could work for you, as each person has different routines and needs. It never has for me, and I think the mental centering side if this is part of why the one-time, big warmup does not feel as good. But, again, I can see that others could feel fully warmed and centered for an entire day with the right routine. We are all different.
Application: Using the warmup to center before an audition
Potentially one of the most stressful types of performances is the audition. I have mentioned elsewhere in this site that I took 30 professional auditions for full-time jobs, and the Nashville audition I won was my 25th audition. By then I very much had a routine for preparation that involved in part a very consistent warmup that was done before every rehearsal or performance. The full routine was done multiple times a day, and when I described my method to Farkas in one of the handful of lessons I took with him he told me I warmed up too much. Which was hard info to process at the time. But I still tend to think the consistent warmup and timing of the warmup helped me to center in on my performances.
And I still like to warm up
I’m not performing nearly as much now (due to family considerations), but I am playing every day, and part of that is always warming up. Which I, to be honest, enjoy. That physical activity just makes me feel good. Realizing now that there is also some mental component related to centering, and ultimately mental wellness, is a very interesting thought to me, and hopefully one that will resonate with you.
What if I don’t like to warm up?
I would suggest that you might want to rethink what you are doing. A brutal daily routine that covers all aspects of technique might not promote centering and mental wellness. A correct warmup should leave you ready to play well, not beat up mentally or physically.
Bonus: Other music for centering and mental wellness?
I must say, for older players, Kopprasch tends to mean something different than for a student. Kopprasch becomes part of the routine, a routine that helps that player feel at center. When the Kopprasch feels good, everything feels good! (For me, I often refer back to number 40 as “my” Kopprasch etude. When it feels right, I can play anything). This is part of the long-term appeal of Kopprasch. You could use any piece really, and finding/defining a piece as “your” piece is also something to consider working in as a healthy part of your physical and mental routine.
**I like to give credit where credit is due, it was a Facebook post, but looping back to check, the person who I thought posted did not, and I can’t remember who the post was from. If/when I figure out who had this great thought, I will add credit here.
